"It's a very simple game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains."
(Bull Durham)

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Baltimore (No, Not The Ravens) Blisters Bucs 13-3

Ross Ohlendorf, Scott Olsen and Joe Beimel served up BP to the Orioles today as Baltimore won going away, 13-3.

For Olsen and Beimel, it's disappointing but not unexpected; both were making just their second spring appearance after injuries. But for Ohlie, it was another in a spring-long series of beat-downs. He gave up all six runs in the third inning, and all after two were away. His ERA is now north of ten with two weeks and two or three more starts remaining in camp.

Ohlendorf pitched three innings today and gave up eight hits and a home run while whiffing a pair. Olsen went 1-1/3 innings, gave a homer, three runs, three hits and walked three with a K. Beimel pitched a frame, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk with a whiff. Sean Gallagher gave up the other run in the ninth on two hits.

On the plus side, Daniel McCutchen threw two innings, giving up just a walk, and minor-league reliever Mike Dubee worked 2/3 innings scorelessly, giving up a hit and striking out one.

Still, for a team that needs some pitching to hang around, the results were worrisome. The Bucs allowed 20 hits and walked five; the staff has a lot of tightening up to do and twelve spring games left to do it. The four mainstays of the rotation have the following ERAs - J-Mac (4.05), Paul Maholm (5.14), Kevin Correia (7.43) and Ohlie (10.24). We know that spring stats are poor barometers of the season, but geez...

The guys looking for that final spot have been much sharper. Their ERAs: Brian Burres (0.00), Charlie Morton (2.25), Jeff Karstens (2.57) and Friday's starter, Brad Lincoln (3.38). In the intra-squad game today, both Burres and Karstens threw goose eggs. Maybe it's just a matter of motivation.

(The pick-up game ended up 3-0; Tyler Yates gave up all three runs on five hits in two innings of work. Pedro Ciriaco started in CF and ran down two fly balls. Steve Pearce doubled twice and drove in a run. Pearce started at third base and gloved two hits cleanly. Minor league OF'er Miles Durham was taken out of the game in the ninth after crashing into the wall.)

The Bucco batters had eight hits, drew six walks and were gifted with three O errors, but stranded a dozen runners. Pedro led the parade with a pair of knocks, including the only extra-base hit for Pittsburgh, a seventh inning double.

The Bucs travel to Clearwater tomorrow to face the Phillies in a 1:05 PM game. Brad Lincoln will start against Roy Oswalt.

-- Ryan Doumit is expected to be in tomorrow's lineup after missing time with an oblique strain. He got some swings in today in a minor-league game.

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